In this Wednesday, Sept. 5, 2012 file photo, South Africa’s Oscar Pistorius wins the Men’s 4 x 100 Relay T42-46 final at the 2012 Paralympics in London. Pistorius has been arrested after a 30-year-old woman was shot dead at his home in South Africa, early Thursday, Feb. 14, 2013.JOHANNESBURG – Lawyers for Oscar Pistorius have filed an appeal in a South African court against bail restrictions imposed on the Olympian, who is charged with murdering his girlfriend, according to papers released by the Pistorius family on Monday.
“The conditions appealed against are unwarranted and not substantiated by the facts,” said the appeal, which was filed Friday in Pretoria, the South African capital.
The appeal reflected the robust defense strategy of lawyers for Pistorius, who has been staying at his uncle Arnold’s home in a Pretoria suburb since he was released on bail on Feb. 22.
It is a delicate balance because the Pistorius family has also sought to keep a low profile, expressing sorrow for the death of Reeva Steenkamp on Feb. 14. Pistorius says he mistakenly shot Steenkamp, thinking she was an intruder in his home. Prosecutors believe he killed her intentionally after an argument.
The Associated Press received a copy of the court papers by email from representatives of the Pistorius family. The appeal was prepared by Ramsay Webber, a legal firm based in Johannesburg.